No nonsence approach to bunny bonding and neutering

sgprescue said:

After reading a lot of posts on the forum lately I felt I needed to start a thread on bonding. Many people seem to faf around when it comes to bonding and there really isnt any need for it. Over the years I have paired up hundreds of bunnies and found the way I do things to be the easiest and least stressfull on the bunnies.

single or pair?
I have on many occasions heard people mention that their rabbit does not get on with another one. With the number of bunnies I have had through my doors I have NEVER found one that I couldnt pair up. If given enough space, matched up in the correct way (see below) and neutered first then there is no reason for bunny not to get on with another one.

Neutering
This part is very important. It can be very difficult to bond hormonal un-neutered bunnies so neutering first is essential. I always get ALL bunnies neutered before bonding them and find this the easiest way to do it. If you have a male/female pair and only get the male done then at some point the female will become hormonal and increase the chances of a disagreement.

Which sex?
It doesnt matter if you have 2 males, 2 females or a male/female pair, as long as they are neutered at the correct age and paired up correctly any of the above can work. If you have 2 boys or 2 girls that are growing up together it is important to get them neutered before the hormones kick in, this will obviously depend on your vet but my vet neuters boys as soon as their testicles drop (usually around 12 weeks depending on breed) and the girls as soon as they are 1kg in weight (around 14 weeks for an average dwarf lop). There are many benefits from having them neutered at such a young age. With the boys, their hormones will not have kicked in yet so you can drasticaly increase the chances of them staying together. With the girls, the operation is not so severe at a young age, adult does develop a layer of fat around the uterus meaning there is more for the vet to cut through to get to it. I recently had 2 litters of dwarf lops and all of the males and females were neutered at 14 weeks, within a week after the op they were all healed up.

When to bond
Forget all this nonsence about leaving it 6 weeks. The only time you need to leave it that long is if you are matching up a neutered male with an un-neutered female. I often get single males and females neutered at the same time and pair them up 10 - 14 days later. As long as their stitches have healed there is no reason not to pair them up. I have found very little difference in the temperament of a bunny that has been neutered for 2 weeks from one that has been neutered 6 weeks. Once you have put 2 bunnies together do not seperate them, they need to establish their territory and who is boss, seperating them even if it is overnight will not help this process.

Where?
It is very important to match them up on neutral territory and away from other rabbits. Usually a large run in the garden is best. Put both bunnies in there at the same time and then leave them there for a few hours. ONLY seperate them if they are starting to injure each other. You must expect a bit of chasing, mounting and possibly a little bit of fur flying but this is perfectly normal and will soon settle down. Most importantly, DO NOT TOUCH THEM during the bonding process.

Some of you may find my methods a little harsh, however they are the most successful and least stressfull on the bunnies. I have many groups and pairs of bunnies here that are all very happy and healthy and I have never observed any arguments between them. If anyone is still having problems after trying the above send them over to me, I am always up for a challenge :wink: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Cheryl

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